


Team Avatar: Pencil Salesmen!

by laylowandstitch



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Drama & Romance, F/F, F/M, Humor, M/M, Office
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-09 13:27:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17407772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laylowandstitch/pseuds/laylowandstitch
Summary: For a young man employed at a company called "Sharp Thinking", Sokka Mizushi is a very dull-minded person.If you love ATLA and the Office (U.S.), you won't be disappointed. Full of bad puns, explosive love triangles, and your favorite characters, life at a pencil selling company turns out to be a little more interesting than one might think in this Office AU! Avatar the Last Airbender fanfic.Starring: Sokka the funny guy, Toph the sarcastic badass, Aang the energetic peacemaker, Suki the independent hot-head, Katara the counselor who gets paid like a secretary,  Zuko that scary boss with a stick up his ass, and many more!NOTE: Rated Teen for language and some adult themes, but for the most part it's all fluffy y'all. I'll give you a warning if anything changes:)





	1. New Moon (part 1)

**Author's Note:**

> Lol hope you guys enjoy! Don't be alarmed if you see this on Wattpad because I also have a Wattpad account called thelaststorybender.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka becomes transfixed with Yue, the office's newest employee, much to Suki's disgrace. Toph tells Aang a myth about the upcoming New Moon.

For a young man employed at a company called "Sharp Thinking", Sokka Mizushi is a very dull-minded person. That's not to say he's  _stupid_  stupid. He just has this oblivious way about him that always causes everyone else to shake their heads. But this doesn't make him a bad salesman, of course. He could sell pencils with his eyes closed! Toph Beifong's had the top sales rates for every one of the five years he's worked at the company, and she's  _blind_.

Sokka's job at Sharp Thinking Pencils & Publishing was supposed to be temporary, but five years have already flown by and he finds himself accidentally looking forward to fresh blue-skied Mondays like this one. In fact, he even prepared for such an occasion. Hell, he woke up ten minutes  _early_ for this occasion.

Now, with the office mostly empty, he sits at his cluttered beige desk, swiveling his chair in circles as he waits for his sister Katara and his best friend, Aang Yuubo, to walk through the door. The five minutes of spinning and spinning are agonizing, but so deliciously worth it when the couple strolls through the door with giggles and Starbucks. Katara's grin immediately falters when she spots Sokka's.

"Oh god, Aang," she whispers, her already big blue eyes widening even more.

Her pipsqueak boyfriend, on the other hand, is not nearly as horrified. "Let's just get this over with," he chuckles, squeezing her hand before releasing it and taking his place at the desk next to Sokka's. Katara groans quietly before plopping behind the front desk.

An outsider would be completely confused by their exchange, but across the room, Haru slips on his headphones. Everyone in the office is aware of the deal Kataang made with Sokka last week. If he could go a full day without talking AT ALL, he would be granted the right to a full seven days of undisturbed puns. That meant as many puns as he wanted with absolutely no protests, complaints, or ruining his goofy dad jokes for 168 hours. It was a pungeon master's wet dream. So he'd zipped his lips and buried the key deep, deep within his chatterbox. Then he'd locked the chatterbox, too, and given _that_ key to Bumi in the accounting cluster for safe keeping.

'Twas a time of great suffering, that day of silence. Sokka had almost had three separate mental breakdowns and might've cried a little bit (a teensy tiny little bit) in the men's room after his boss, Mr. Zuko Li, got pissed at him for his lack of vocal responses. In the end, however, after many a trials, Sokka pulled through with a win. Aang was so impressed he helped Sokka out with the Zuko situation, making up an excuse about how he'd had severe laryngitis and been too worried about missing work to go home. Zuko didn't seem to believe them in the slightest, but let it go. Either way it was sooooooo worth it.

"My friends, today marks the end of an era!" Sokka exclaims dramatically, grateful Zuko hasn't arrived yet. He does another spin to add some flair. Katara rolls her eyes, but Aang smiles. He picks up a shiny new yellow pencil with a perfectly sharpened tip "Have you ever noticed we work at a pencil company?" He examines it closely. "I took this into consideration, of course. I spent a long time crafting today's puns and I have to say" he says, drawing out the words as he taps the lead, "I think they're pretty... _on point_."

Aang cringes, hard, but musters a smile. "Wow, good one."

Sokka laughs. Sweet, sweet victory.

Just before he can get out the next one, Zuko walks through the door in a burgundy coat and his signature orange scarf wrapped around his neck.

"Hey, boss, you're looking  _sharp_  today," Sokka says, pointing the pencil at him. Aang chokes out a genuine laugh and Katara buries her head in her hands.

Sokka's chuckles die slowly as Zuko's amber glare burns into him. "Go get Asami and Tenzin," he says, voice ironically cold. "I have an announcement to make."

"Yes, sir," Sokka squeaks. He swallows and leaps up from his chair, rushing through the break room into the annex. Asami is flipping through a magazine when he stumbles in. "Uh, hey, Asami, Zuko's got some announcement."

She looks up at him with curious green eyes. Geez, she's pretty. No wonder she's a model on the side. He's surprised she's not doing it full time.

"What about?" she asks as she rolls over to the divider wall behind her and knocks. "Tenzin!"

Aang's older cousin groans and peeks his head out, looking half asleep. "Is it announcement time?"

Asami raises an eyebrow. "Wait, you knew about that?"

Tenzin doesn't answer as he stands up, stretching with another groan, and then leads her and Sokka back into the main room.

Everyone else is turned around to face Zuko, who stands next to the front desk. To Sokka's surprise, he isn't alone. Next to him is the most beautiful woman Sokka has ever seen. She has warm olive skin and crystal blue eyes and long braided hair whiter than Christmas snow. This day just gets better and better.

"What took you so long?" Zuko snaps. Sokka takes a step behind Tenzin, but the boss doesn't wait for their response. Instead, he takes a hand out of his coat pocket to gesture to the woman next to him. "I'd like to introduce you to Yue Luna. She'll be joining our customer service team."

"Alright!" Asami cheers quietly. A small smile lifts Yue's lips and Sokka's knees weaken.

"I expect you'll all make her feel welcome, show her around, help her get adjusted," Zuko continues. The room fills with a mixture of agreeing murmurs. The boss nods and then disappears into his office. Wow, what a welcoming guy. Everyone exchanges awkward glances.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Tenzin Yuubo," Tenzin greets with a polite smile. "I'm the human resources representative and I'll be working in the annex with you and Asami." He gestures to Asami, who waves.

"Nice to meet you, Yue."

"You too," the snow-haired beauty replies shyly. Sokka's heart flutters.

Suki gives Yue her own little wave from the accounting cluster. "Welcome aboard."

Sokka grins. "Hey, Yue, I'm Sokka." Katara gives him the  _Don't do it, Sokka_ look."What do pencils do when they're sick of writing?"

She giggles nervously, tilting her head slightly. "What?"

"They start a-racing." His-coworkers suppress groans as Aang and Katara let out weak, forced laughs. "Get it, like  _erasing_? A racing!"

Yue's smile widens and Sokka is suddenly standing on top of the world.

~ ~

Aang's gaze wanders to Sokka's empty seat. It's been forty-five minutes since he's last seen him and this office is  _small_.

"What is he doing?" His mumble is meant to be to himself, but of course Toph picks up on it with her heightened hearing.

"Flirting with the new girl," she replies monotonously, fingers rapidly clicking across her computer's keyboard.

"Ohhhh," Aang awes, mental puzzle pieces snapping together. "He really was making googly eyes at her, wasn't he?" he whispers, glancing around quickly to make sure no one's listening in. Of course, no one is.

Toph lifts a hand briefly and waves it blankly in front of her face while her other hand continues typing. "I can only assume so."

Aang smiles sheepishly. "Whoops, sorry, Toph."

"Don't sweat it, Twinkle Toes," she mutters, lifted hand rejoining the other.

"I feel awfully bad for Suki, though," he admits, casting a sympathetic glance towards the brown-haired accountant plugging numbers into a calculator. "Normally, she'd be bossing Haru and Bumi around, but she's hardly said a word all day."

"I know," Toph sighs. "But if it's such a big deal to her, then she should just tell Tuna Breath how she feels."

Aang almost laughs at how fitting he finds the nickname, but instead a frown tugs at his lips. "It isn't that easy when you like someone a lot. If she got rejected, she'd make things awkward between them and I'm sure that seems even worse to her. Besides, you know Suki, she's...stubborn and prideful."

"Mm," Toph hums. "You mean she's a bossy pain in the ass."

"Hey!" Aang gasps.

"What?" Toph shrugs. "I thought it was better than 'bitch'."

"Aren't you two friends?"

"Nope." She smirks. "Best friends."

Aang leans back in his chair, giving up. He turns just a little and the movement manages to catch Katara's eye. He gives her a wink and receives a blown kiss in return. He catches it, clutches it dramatically to his heart, and swoons. She giggles with a fond shake of her head, but Toph gags behind Aang before he can respond. He whips around.

"How did you--"

"Have you ever smelt love in the air before, Twinkle Toes?" Toph scrunches up her nose. "It's repulsive."

This time he can't possibly hold back his laugh, earning him a curious glance from Suki, who realizes Sokka isn't next to him and frowns back down at her work.

"Should I go talk to her?" Aang whispers, leaning over his desk to get closer to Toph.

"I really could care less about your form of flirtations, lover boy," Toph replies sarcastically.

"No, no,  _Suki,_ " he hisses."

"Oh." Toph ceases her typing, to Aang's surprise. "Probably not. She just needs some time alone, or some counseling at the secretary's desk."

Aang brightens at this, spinning again to wave at his girlfriend. It may take a good five waves before she sees him, but it only takes one nod in Suki's direction for Katara to get the message. They exchange thumbs up before returning to their awaiting paperwork.

Aang shuffles through his stack boredly, wishing the day was already over. He wants to go home and eat sushi and cuddle with Katara and his silly cat Momo and his big fluffy dog Appa. Besides, the papers are all boring, just sales confirmations and whatnot. Boring, boring,  _boring_ , oh...a calendar? Zuko usually sends Katara calendars to print out for all the employees with important business meetings and such labeled on them, but this month's is different.

"Hey, Toph, did you notice the moon phases on the calendar this month?"

She stops typing again to give him an  _"Are you serious?"_ kind of glare. He slaps his forehead.

"Sorry, I don't know what's with me today."

"It must be the new moon coming up," Toph sighs, propping her cheek up in her hand.

"There's not a new..." Aang's words fade as he looks at the black circle in Friday's box. "Woah, how'd you know that?"

"There's a different scent in the air," she answers nonchalantly. "It usually happens around this time of year."

Aang stares with his mouth agape for a moment. "...B.s."

"Hey!" Toph gasps mockingly.

"Come on, it's obvious someone told you. Or for all I know, that's what you've been looking up over there."

"Okay, but if someone trips into the grouchiest person in the room, don't say I didn't warn you. It's a sign that the spirit world is shifting towards darkness, throwing off balance. It means the zombies are rising." The words could be teasing, but Toph sounds dead serious.

Aang laughs it off. Her humor is so weird sometimes.

~ ~

"You're so funny," Yue whispers, trying not to disturb Tenzin or Asami as she muffles her giggles behind her dainty hand. Her skin looks so soft. Sokka grins, resisting the urge to reach out and touch it. Not in a creepy way, in a tender lovey dovey be-my-girlfriend way.

"Nah, you're way funnier than me," Sokka says airily, waving off her compliment. "That joke about the two eraser pencil was hilarious! How does it go? A pencil could have two erasers but then..."

"Where's the point?" Yue finishes joyfully. They laugh together and it feels nice to have someone genuinely like his jokes.

"Hey, did you guys hear the one about the broken pencil?" Asami asks, eyes trained on her notebook as she scribbles something down. Their laughter slows as they wait attentively. The model smirks. "Never mind. It was pointless."

The three burst into giggles, causing Tenzin to stick his head out from behind the divider wall.

"Sokka, don't you have work to do?" he asks gruffly, a deep frown etched into his features.

The man in name scratches the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah, you're right. See you around, Yue, Asami." He gives them a small wave before heading into the break room. Bumi, one of the accountants, hums a merry tune as the coffee pot trickles to a stop. The older man quiets and greets him with a grin as Sokka grabs a paper cup from near the water jug.

"Sounds like it was going well in there until Tenzin ruined all your fun, eh?" Bumi asks, nudging him playfully. "Sounds just like my good ol' pal. He's been that grumpy since I met him in preschool. Would you believe that?"

They share a laugh and Sokka savors the warmth in his chest. 'It's turning out to be a perfect day, after all,' he thinks giddily as Bumi pours him some of the hot morning drink. He sips it with a happy sigh.

The door to the main room swings open and Suki's gaze meets his instantly, an expression of shock crossing her face.

"Hey, Suki, you have to hear this joke Yue told me. You'll think it's hilari--" He's cut off abruptly by the brunette.

"Shouldn't you be working instead of wasting everyone's time by horsing around?" she snaps, swerving around him into the women's restroom.

He stands completely still for a moment. What was that all about? Guilt twinges his stomach. Maybe she has a point. But why does she have to stomp all over his sunny day? His mind is on this when he trudges into the main room, eyes on his shoes. He tries to focus on the memory of Yue's laugh, gentle and sweet like little magic bells. His cheeks suddenly feel oddly warm for October. Then--

"WAH!" Sokka yelps as his foot snags on the edge of his chair and he trips right as Zuko steps out of his office. He can't do anything but watch as his coffee flies from his hand and splatters all over his boss.

The room, every whisper of a breath inside, goes silent.

But for some reason, as Zuko's glare blazes and his hands frantically wipe at the steaming liquid, Aang turns even paler than Sokka and starts stuttering a blur of incoherent phrases.

~~

Aang watches mouth agape as Katara rushes to Mr. Li with a roll of paper towel from her desk.

"Shitfucksoscrewedzombieswhatthehellohmygodwereallgonnadie."


	2. New Moon (part 2)

"Oh my god, sir, I'm so sorry," Sokka gasps after he manages to stand properly. He reaches forward to help, but a piercing glare from Zuko has his hands slamming down to his sides. The clear _"Don't touch me"_  doesn't have to be audible to be understandable. At least he wasn't wearing that expensive-looking coat. His red long-sleeve dress shirt doesn't look quite as pricey. The stain will come out, right? RIGHT? Sokka's poor :*(

"It's fine, Sokka," Zuko grits out through clenched teeth as he finishes blotting the coffee not yet soaked into his shirt off his stomach and chest. "Just get back to work."

Sokka nods, but his feet are frozen to the spot. He's still ninety-nine percent sure Zuko is about to slaughter him right here, right now.

" _Now_ , Sokka," he growls, stalking past the clusters of desks towards the break room. The lanky brunette scurries into his seat, panting like he just ran a marathon. He twirls a pencil between his fingers, surprised they're not trembling as much as his insides are.

"Guys, I just saw my life flash before my eyes, and you WOODn't believe how intense that was. Get it,  _wood_?"

***Timeskip--brought to you by Sharp Thinking Pencils & Publishing: Don't be dull, think sharp;)***

The rest of the work day comes and goes as usual, full of plain sales calls and more painfully hilarious (some more painful than others) Sokka puns. When the clock strikes five, the gaang gathers up their things and heads for the doors.

"I'll be right back," Sokka tells Aang hurriedly, jogging off to the annex. Every day, he and his friends go out to the White Lotus bar down the street. It's a really nice place with a good, jolly atmosphere and the best drinks. It's the perfect way to end a perfect day, but there's something that would make it even better. "Hey, Yue, have any plans tonight?'

Her eyebrows furrow a bit as she smiles curiously. "No, not really."

"Well, the gaang and I were heading down to the White Lotus to get some grub. Wanna join?"

The glow of her stretching smile sends butterflies whirling into Sokka's stomach. "Thanks, that's really sweet of you. I'd love to come."

'She called me  _sweet_!'

It takes a lot of self-restraint not to skip out the door.

~ ~

"Zombies aren't real," Aang insists as he and his pals step into the White Lotus. "If they were, wouldn't I know about them?"

Toph tsks, shaking her head. "Of course not. We only talk about it in the blind community. Regular zombies are nothing, they look like raggedy hobos half the time. They're so stupid they eat brains and it doesn't even make them any smarter. But  _blind_  zombies, those are what people have to watch out for."

Aang shakes his head in disbelief as they follow the others to their regular white circle booth. "There's no such thing."

"There is too," Toph singsongs as she slides into the leather seat and scoots down. He slides in next to her. "Blind zombies want revenge on the world and can only get it in the pitch black night. They eat the eyes of humans with crystal clear vision to satisfy them."

Aang tries hard to process all of this. 'It's not real, it's not real, she's just teasing me,' he mentally pep talks. However, he still glances warily at a few mopey passersby. It would make sense, having an equal playing field. In a pitch black night  _no one_  can see.

"It's not pitch black," Katara scoffs from across the table. "What about the  _stars,_  Toph? And the streetlights?"

"It's an ancient legend, I didn't make it up," their blind friend replies smugly with a shrug.

"See, Aang? Legend. It's not real." Katara begins scanning the menu and her boyfriend nods, mimicking her actions even though he's still not completely sure.

~ ~

"Ah, if it isn't my favorite pencil salesmen!" Iroh, the owner of the bar, says cheerfully as he walks up to their table.

"Hey, Uncle Iroh!" Sokka chimes with a grin. Iroh is actually  _Zuko's_ uncle, but just for fun, they all address him that way.

"How have you been?" Katara asks with a kind smile. "We heard you were on some tropical vacation."

"Ah," Uncle Iroh sighs, eyelids fluttering shut as he drifts off into a peaceful memory. "Nothing like a good trip to some natural springs to recharge your aura." He opens his friendly chocolate brown eyes and Sokka wonders how this man is even slightly related to their grouchy boss. "Oh, who's the new lass?"

"This is Yue," Sokka introduces enthusiastically, jumping at the chance to show their connection. "She started working in customer service today. And she makes some great puns."

Yue giggles, flushing pale pink at the compliment. Sokka beams as Iroh sends him a knowing look. "Nice to meet you" the old man says with a professional bow. "My nephew and his employees are lucky to have such a beautiful young lady joining the team."

"Thank you, sir," Yue replies with a polite nod. Sokka is too entranced by her beauty to notice Suki's sinking smile.

"Now, what can I get for all of you?" Iroh asks with a mighty clap of his large hands. It's interesting how a strong war veteran can knock out a man with a single punch and still serve the best tea in the daintiest cups Sokka's ever held. But now isn't the time for tea, they have to celebrate!

"I'll take a Cactus Juice!" Sokka waggles his eyebrows at the others and nudges Yue gently, winking. "It's the quenchiest."

~~

It turns out that Cactus Juice is also the quickest-to-make-you-piss because Sokka and Aang (who also had some) are bounding off to the bathroom within half an hour of their first sips, leaving the four ladies alone at the table.

Katara must sense Suki's upcoming interrogation for Yue, as she steers the conversation in a more friendly route.

"So, Yue, what made you decide to join the company?" she asks, eyes darting to Suki's narrowed gaze briefly.

Ms. Snow White Man Stealer takes an innocent sip of her drink as she puts an answer together. 'Probably forming a believable lie,' Suki thinks grumpily.

"To be completely honest, I'm kind of looking at this as a temporary job," Yue starts, to which the others nod understandingly. "I'm actually trying to become a full time model, but I'm not sure if Moon will sign me with a permanent contract."

Suki's jaw drops. Fuck.

"Moon?" Katara gasps excitedly. "I love their designs! Suki and I buy every addition and pass it back and forth."

Suki plasters on a smile. "Yeah, really amazing. They have some beautiful models." Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.

"You'd fit right in," Katara giggles, causing Yue to giggle, too, and Suki to swallow the sudden urge to vomit.

"You sound pretty," Toph says with a shrug, trying to at least have a small part in the conversation. "Actually, I think Asami does some work with them. Maybe she could put in a good word. She's into all that clothes designing stuff, isn't she?"

"Yeah," Suki mumbles, mixing her drink with her straw. Of course Sokka would rather be with a  _model_. And this Yue girl seems so much more confident in showing how she feels about him. She really doesn't stand a chance at all. Although...maybe she'd be so focused with modeling for Moon that she wouldn't have time to work at the company OR to be with Sokka. Suki grins and looks up at her. "You should really talk to Asami. You'd look so natural in that magazine, like you were born to be a Moon model!"

"Really?" Yue asks with a surprised smile.

Suki's own smile widens as she pretends not to notice Katara's questioning stare at her sudden change in behavior. "Of course!"

There's a short pause where none of them really know what to say.

"So, Yue, you and Sokka really seemed to get along," Toph says finally. Suki's almost positive there was a rock in her drink because it hits the bottom of her stomach with a queasy  _thud_.

Yue twirls the end of one of her white-blond braids, blue eyes glimmering with something that seems...faraway. "Yeah," she says softly with a faint lift of her lips. "He's really wonderful. He actually kind of reminds me of someone."

Woah. That was strange. Suki opens her mouth to ask Yue if she's already in a relationship, but Sokka springs up to the table.

"I'm back!" he announces, scooching next to Yue again. He leans forward with a smirk. "So, catch me up on the lady talk." They all roll their eyes, except for Yue, who still seems distant.

Toph's dark eyebrows wrinkle with confusion. "Hey, Sokka, where's Aang?"

~ ~

"Sokka, wait up!" Aang calls, zipping up his fly and jogging after his hyper friend. He keeps his eyes on Sokka's blue shirt as they exit the bathroom, as the bar is quickly filling up with other regulars. "OOF!" Aang smashes right into someone's chest. "Sorry, si--iirrrrrrrrrrrr...." He stares up at the tall man with his ashen face and sunglasses. The man groans quietly, hands resting on his stomach. Aang's eyes bulge out of his head. 'HE'S HUNGRY! HE'S GOING TO EAT MY EYEBALLS!' He dashes off to the table and ends up tripping into several other tired businesspeople before he finally makes it back.

Everyone is shocked by his heavy breathing, but Aang, pale as a ghost, can't utter a word about the unspeakable horrors of being trapped in a mob of zombies.

The evening passes smoothly after that, closing with a giddy Sokka being kissed on the cheek by Yue, Suki quietly heading home alone, and the youngest of the gaang refusing to walk the block to his and Katara's apartment in the dark. So reluctantly, his girlfriend calls a cab.

**~Tuesday~**

"So....tired...." Aang groans as he drops into his swirly chair.

"Why? Late night rendezvouses keeping you up all night?" Sokka pokes him playfully. Then he catches a glimpse of Katara sipping Starbucks at the front desk and retracts his hand, cringing. "Ewww. Don't tell me."

"It wasn't anything like that," comes the tattooed temp's muffled response, his head buried in his arms. "I kept hearing noises."

Katara hears this and calls over, "Aang, you realize we have two pets, right?"

"It wasn't them, I know it wasn't," Aang mumbles back, shaking his head as much as his arm pillow will allow.

"You know, if you're worried about the zombies, I can give you some tips for keeping them away," Toph suggests. Sokka clamps his hand over his mouth to keep himself from laughing when she points out the warning  _don't you fuck this up_  typed on her computer screen.

"Yeah, Toph helped me out with my zombie problems last month," Sokka says with a nod. Aang's head shoots up.

"You know about the zombies?"

"Of course. Here, I'll start with the advice. You know where the safest place to be during a zombie apocalypse is?"

Aang shakes his head slowly.

"The _living_ room!"

Toph snorts and Aang's head falls back into his arms.

~ ~

Suki stands by the copying machine, frowning at Sokka's empty seat. He's been sitting in the annex all morning, no doubt chatting it up with Yue. The brunette brushes back a strand of her short brown hair and collects her papers as she walks to the secretary's desk.

"Katara, I think Yue might be using Sokka."

Katara's eyes lock with hers suddenly, shocked. "What? But she's so nice."

"We've known her for  _one day_ and she's already kissing him on the cheek?"

The young secretary aligns a stack of papers, tapping the bottom lightly on the desk. "They're just flirting, Suki. I know it's hard, but maybe you should tell Sokka how you feel."

"I can't now," Suki mumbles, cheeks unbearably hot. She stares at the jar of jellybeans next to her. "Yue is so pretty, Katara, and she laughs at every one of Sokka's jokes. There's no way he'd pass up the opportunity to date a girl like that."

"Maybe he would if he knew he had a chance with a smart, funny girl like you," Katara points out, momentarily stunning Suki into silence. Clever, clever.

"I just..." Suki sighs heavily. "I'm not trying to make her out as a bad person, but remember what Yue said yesterday? That Sokka reminded her of someone? She got all weird and distant. I think she's in love with somebody else and using Sokka to make her feel better."

"Suki...you have to be careful saying things like that," Katara warns gently. "Maybe she was just referring to a lost family member or a close friend she misses. You can't assume it's bad because you feel a little jealous."

Suki clenches her fists, grayish blue eyes cooling into a stone cold glare. "Thanks for the talk, Katara," she grumbles, briskly walking off. Ironically, Sokka enters the room, a bright sparkling smile on his face. It makes her heart dance happily and then contract harshly, realizing he's smiling about another woman.

She eyes the door to the break room. Maybe it's time for a visit to the annex.

~ ~

"Are you sure this is going to work, Toph?"

The saleswoman doesn't reply to his skeptical question at first, merely stroking her stuffed badger mole, Weeboo. "Of course it will," she assures. "They're  _blind_ zombies, so all their other senses are heightened. If you smell like a clean human being you can bet a billion bazingas they'll find you. This is the only way to ensure your safety."

"Don't think you're walking into my house wearing all that," Katara says sternly from the front desk. "If you want to 'protect yourself', just wear sunglasses."

Toph senses that Aang nods, but she can hear him continuing to thread the garlic to his crown of leaves. It rustles and then she hears a sloshing sound, knowing he's rubbing some mud along his arms.

"Aang, why are you putting mud on your arms?" Sokka's voice asks.

"Zombie protection," Aang replies as if it's the most obvious answer in the entire history of the world.

Toph shakes her head, just knowing Sokka's got some dopey grin on his face. "Alright, Romeo, what's the news?"

"Yue and I are going on a date!" he exclaims. There's suddenly a lot of fumbling noises and Toph can tell he threw his hands out, knocking something over in the process. "We're going...out to lunch."

"Wow, congrats, Sokka!" Aang cheers.

"Yeah, congrats..."  Toph realizes then that she hasn't heard Suki's voice since she stopped talking to Katara and gets the feeling the love-struck brunette is about to do something stupid.


	3. New Moon (part 3)

{THE FINAL PART}

"Hey, Suki," Yue greets sweetly as the accountant enters the annex.

"Hi." She smiles, knowing Tenzin and Asami are out on their lunch breaks and they'll have the area to themselves. "You seemed a little upset yesterday at the White Lotus and I was wondering if maybe you needed to talk to someone."

Suki's feigned sympathy seems to work, or at least Yue is super desperate, because she urgently coaxes Suki to sit down, eyes wide.

"If it's not too much trouble," Yue begins, the words tumbling from her mouth, "I've been having struggles with my boyfriend and I'm not really sure what to do."

'BOYFRIEND??' How can she play with Sokka's heart so easily?

Suki plasters on a smile, crossing her arms casually as she leans against Asami's desk. "Sure. Let's talk about it."

Yue glances around hesitantly before taking a deep breath. "We've been together nearly four years now and I know we've both been trying to focus on our careers so we've been taking it slow, but I'm just worried he'll never see me as anything more than his temporary college girlfriend. I care about him so much," she admits quietly, delicate fingers fidgeting as she gets lost in thought, "But how can I tell how he feels? Sometimes I wonder if he's cheating on me..."

'So you cheat on him  _back_?' Suki thinks bitterly. However, she manages to stay composed as she replies, "Have you talked to  _him_ about any of this?"

"I want to...but I just don't know how."

"Maybe he's waiting for the right time to take things a step further," Suki says truthfully. "You said the two of you have been focusing on your careers, so maybe when you show him you're ready, he'll step up his game."

Yue giggles. "Wow. I didn't know you gave such good advice."

Suki flips her hair playfully. "It's one of my many talents." They share a laugh and Suki isn't sure she really hates it. "Well, I should probably get back to work." She doesn't pay attention to Yue's good-bye wave, however, much too intent on her quickly returning anger. 

  'She's leading Sokka on. She's going to break his heart.'  Suki's steps are strong and meaningful as she walks through the break room. 'Not on my watch.'

~ ~

"Sokka." 

The brunet turns at his name and is surprised to see Suki practically stomping her way over to him. 

"I didn't do it," he blurts, throwing his hands up in defense. "Whatever you're mad about, I didn't do it."

Her eyes sparkle with something strange as she stops at his desk, leaning against it with a serious look. "Sokka, you can't go out with Yue."

Well, that's not what he expected. "Why not? Does she have an extra workload today? 'Cause I can give her a hand if she needs hel--"

"--No, because she has a _boyfriend_ ," Suki hisses, sparing an annoyed glance at the rest of the eavesdropping office. 

Sokka stares at her. The corners of his lips are slowly drawn upwards and his laugh-box cracks and all of a sudden laughter bursts from his lips. "Oh...I see..." he chokes, doubling over. "Real funny, Suki...real funny."

Her expression is still stone serious. "What?"

"It's a joke." He quiets down, sighing deeply. Suki is frowning. "It's a joke!" he exclaims, throwing out his arms like everyone else is going to confirm his statement. No one does. "It's a bad joke?" he asks the accountant suspiciously. 

"I'm sorry, Sokka," Suki says gently, "but it's true. She wants him to propose but she thinks he has cold feet about their relationship, so I think she's turning to you because you somewhat resemble his personality."

"Ooooookkay." Sokka pats her on the shoulder as he stands up. "Your prankster skills could use some work. This is very unbelievable." As if on cue, Yue enters from the break room. "Now a very  _single_  Yue and I are going on our date." He slips on his jacket and goes to hold the door open for the blonde.

He tries to ignore the way he feels Suki watching them leave. 

~ ~

"That was super awkward," Aang hisses to Toph, cognizant of a frustrated Suki sitting a few feet away. 

SNAP! SNAP!

The accountant's stapling is really giving him the chills.

"As so is life," Toph mumbles halfheartedly. 

Silence.

"So do you think it's true?" Aang whispers again. Toph gives him a look Aang takes as confused. Maybe he should elaborate. "You know? The thing. The Yue isn't single thing."

"I knew what you were talking about," Toph replies, her look deepening.  _Oh._  She was annoyed, not confused. "I could care less about New Girl's romantic status, but I have a feeling Suki's right. I mean sure she's jealous but she wouldn't say something like that, something that hurts Sokka more, if it was just made up."

"Mm," the temp hums.   
  
Zuko's office door creaks open. The tall raven-haired man takes one step out and stares with a blazing gaze into Aang's soul. 

Oh shit. Maybe he should have waited until nightfall to put on his zombie protection gear. 

"Mr. Yuubo, I assume you have only the best of reasons for this," he grounds out. 

Aang swallows. "Um...I heard it protects you against blind zombies?"

"Perhaps I should consider hiring them in your place," Zuko snaps, "I'm sure they'd get a hell of a lot more work done." He turns back into his office, the slight slam of the door making both Aang and Toph flinch. 

~ ~

***Wednesday***

Suki grinds her teeth as she watches Sokka preparing to skip off to the annex again this morning. Yesterday after his "date", he was joyfully proclaiming to all the world about how Yue and he had shared a kiss. On the _lips_. Suki was about ready to go give that skanky little future Moon model a piece of her mind when the blonde approached her first, grateful for her advice and saying it'd worked. 

"I think he's going to propose," Yue whispered excitedly, eyes glimmering. 

Suki decided maybe it wasn't her place to confront anyone just yet, but that isn't going to stop her from trying again this morning. 

"Sokka!" she calls, waving him over before he can leave. "Can I talk to you in private for a moment?" He nods curiously and she follows him into the break room. 

"Sokka, it's about what I said yesterday," she begins nervously, double checking through the door windows that everyone else is busy working. 

"It's okay, it's okay," Sokka says with a wave of his hand. "We all make jokes we think are going to be funny but end up bad. Ooh! Here's one I told Aang. What do you get when--"

"--It wasn't a joke," Suki cuts him off with exasperation. "Sokka, it's the truth. She told me yesterday about her boyfriend. Ask her yourself."

Sokka frowns this time. It doesn't suit him. "You're serious?"

"I'm sorry," she whispers. "But I can't let her keep leading you on."

"I can't believe this." Sokka runs a hand through his hair. "Why can't you just be happy for me?"

"What?" Suki's mouth falls open. 

"Somebody _finally_  likes me and you want to ruin it." He shakes his head. "I don't get it, Suki. I know you hate me, but don't try to screw this up, too. I'll get all my work done on time, this won't interfere, I promise."

"No, Sokka, I don't hate you. Ask Yue yourself!"

"No." His blue eyes harden. "I trust her and I'm not going to break that trust because you misjudge people sometimes."

"Like I said she  _told_ me." Suki feels tears prickling in the corners of her eyes.  "Stop being such an idiot."

"Well, I know a girl who likes this idiot. Is it really so stupid to think that somebody would like me?" he asks, voice dripping with heartbreak. Suki opens her mouth to protest, but the words get clogged in her throat. "Don't say anymore. Leave me alone from now on." 

Then he returns to his desk, leaving her frozen in place. 

~ ~

***Thursday***

An eerie tension hangs in the air of the office, brought by the uncomfortable silence unbroken since yesterday. 

The day consists mostly of Aang's extreme fear of tomorrow's new moon and an abundance of awkward glances between everyone but Sokka and Suki. Both of them are still pissed. Yue cheerfully tells everyone at lunch about her Moon audition the day before and when Sokka asks her out to dinner, she politely says she has plans. Sokka looks for a smug gaze from Suki, but she isn't around. 

It's a sad day and everyone sighs heavily when it's over. 

"If it's this quiet tomorrow, you're all fired," Zuko threatens. He only ends up being more weirded out when no one chuckles or makes a smartass comment. 

~ ~

***Friday***

"Aang, come on, get out of bed," Katara groans, trying to tug her bald boyfriend off their shared mattress. 

"I can't," he whines into his pillow. "The zombies come out tonight! Let's take a personal day." He looks up hopefully. "We could have hot chocolate and cuddle and watch movies with Momo and Appa!" 

"Enticing, I'll admit." Katara releases him and plops down on the bed. "But I think Sokka might cause too much trouble if we're not around." She kisses Aang on the cheek. "Can we take a rain check for tomorrow?"

He nods reluctantly. "Alright, but I'm gonna need extra marshmallows."

~~

Suki gets to work early so she doesn't have to pass Sokka on the way to her desk. She plops into her rolling chair and leans back with a heavy sigh. Man, she's never been so glad for a Friday. Of course each one she's had felt like a relief, but none more than this one. The awkwardness in the office is unbearable. And it's been three, maybe four days of it now? 

Next to her, Haru keeps his eyes steadily trained on his iPod. Everyone's been acting even more cautious around her than usual. It's annoying...and it makes her feel guilty. 

The door opens and Sokka's laugh floats in. 

"Better barricade your doors tonight, Aang, or there won't zom _bie_ any eyes left in your head to watch the movie with!"

"Shut up," the temp mumbles woefully. 

"And to think I skipped a movie day to help you out with Su--" Katara stops mid-sentence when her eyes land on Suki. She must've not realized she'd be here so early today. The secretary clears her throat. "To help you out with that Super Supplies account. Can't have you screwing that up, Zuko'd kill us."

"If the zombies don't get to us first." Aang slumps into his desk and buries his head in his arms. 

Suki meets Sokka's gaze for half a second. She almost smiles, hoping it'll be some sort of silent apology, but his eyebrows knit seriously and he tears his head away from her direction. With it, she's pretty sure he tears out a part of her heart.

~~

Sokka ignores Suki's stare and slips into his desk, trying not to think of how Yue turned down his date last night. It's only natural, of course. People make plans. Pretty girls make plans. Pretty girls with questionable relationships make plans. It's fine. It's fine. 

It isn't fine. 

He doesn't even notice the way he's rapidly drumming his fingers on a stack of files. It's loud enough that it's the first thing out of Toph's mouth when she enters. 

"Stop the drumming or I'll cut them off myself," she warns. 

He gulps and takes to scrolling through panda pictures on his phone instead. However, his view keeps gliding sideways to the door. Zuko, Tenzin, Asami, Bumi, and Kya all trickle in. Finally, Yue comes in last. Sokka smiles brightly, sliding his phone back into his pocket. 

" _Good_ morning," he greets joyfully. She smiles brightly back at him and he realizes he must've been worried for nothing. He picks up a pencil and tilts the tip in her direction. "I'd like to be the first to  _point_ out how beautiful you look today."

Toph makes a silent, mocking gag. 

Yue giggles. "Thanks, Sokka." 

Zuko's office door creaks open and he peeks his head out. "Yue, you wanted to speak with me?"

"Uh, yes." Smile still on her face, the blonde walks into his office. Sokka grins as the door closes. 

"Why are you so happy?" Aang asks in the midst of his 'zombie prevention techniques' Google search. 

Sokka hits ctrl+alt+delete, the opening chime of his computer spreading new life through his body. "Because Yue's obviously talking to the boss about the rules on dating co-workers."

"Wouldn't she talk to Tenzin about that?" Toph mutters skeptically. 

Sokka groans. "She could've asked anyone about it. Maybe Tenzin told her to talk to Zuko. Besides, she probably wants to keep it a discreet relationship or something."

"'Cause you're so discreet," Katara snorts from her desk. 

"I can be sneaky," Sokka protests. He doesn't get to make much of an argument against his three friends' laughs, however, because Yue and Zuko both walk out of his office. 

"Attention, everyone, I have an announcement," Zuko calls. "Bumi, get the annex so I don't have to repeat myself fifty bazillion times and Suki, tell Haru to take those damned headphones off."

Both requests are met quickly. 

"Actually, can I do it?" Yue asks, blushing slightly. "I feel like they should hear it from me."

Zuko shrugs. "Sure."

Yue waits until Bumi is back with Asami and Tenzin before she looks at Sokka, smiles, and takes a deep breath. Sokka's heart jumps. This is it. 

"As most of you know, I auditioned as a model for Moon a couple days ago. This morning I got a call and...I'm in!" 

"Yue, that's amazing!" Katara gasps. Asami flashes a dazzling grin. 

"Damn, I'm not surprised," Haru laughs. 

There's some clapping, but Sokka's hands are numb. 

"Unfortunately...that means I'm going to have to stop working here," Yue continues.

His stomach twists. 

"But," she adds cheerfully, holding up her left hand, "I'll be moving in with my fiance, so don't worry too much about me." The shining diamond ring glints horribly, blinding Sokka. 

The blue-eyed salesman can only stare as Katara, Asami, and some of the others hurry up to congratulate her. 

"Asami, Tenzin, she'll be leaving after today so I hope you'll assist her," Zuko says. 

The two annex employees nod. 

"Congratulations, Yue," he forces out with a plastic smile. "That's awesome." 

She's gone by lunchtime, but for Sokka, time seems to disappear. 

~~

"Geez, that was harsh," Aang hisses over his computer. Yue's gone and Sokka just went to the bathroom, so he can finally take a breath. 

"I know. She stepped on his dreams with a smile like some oblivious ditz," Katara scoffs, appearing beside him. 

"I called it!" Toph chirps. 

"No, I called it," another voice grumbles. The three's heads snap up to a sulky Suki. Ha, Aang's totally going to make that a thing now. She gives them a nervous half-smile. "Do you think it's too late to apologize?"

"Maybe. But it's never too soon for I-told-you-so." Toph smirks. She must sense everyone's blank stares because she shrugs. "In my book, anyways."

~~

Sokka isn't out of the bathroom yet, so Suki rearranges the alphabet letters on the employee fridge. Sokka bought them a few years ago because he thought the utility looked too plain. She smiles as she spells out his name. If only there was a second 'K'...what should she spell instead? Soki? Is that dorky? It's not even a good ship name. 

"I'm sorry."

She's startled by Sokka's voice behind her. "What?" She faces him for the first time in what feels like months. It's barely been three days. 

"I should've listened to you," he says quietly, but his eyes never fall to the floor. "The things I said to you were...wrong." Pink dusts his cheeks. "And thank you, for trying to look out for me even when I was being a dumbass."

His blush is contagious and Suki has to duck her head. Why do these things have to be so embarrassing? "Hey, it's what I'm here for." Gathering her courage, she looks back up at him. His eyes are a soft blue, friendly and happy like him. "And I'm sorry, too. I don't think you're an idiot. At all."

He laughs nervously, scratching the back of his neck. She giggles, too, absentmindedly brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. 

"Hey..."

"Yeah?" she answers quicker than she means to and her blush deepens. 

"Do you want to get dinner tonight? Just the two of us?"

She smiles. "Yeah. I'd like that a lot."

~~

***Monday***

"I knew you'd get together," Toph scoffs with a roll of her eyes. Sokka grins proudly.  

"You lied to me!" Aang repeats himself for the fourth time since he walked in two minutes ago, pointing a finger accusingly at Toph. "I talked to my blind friend from school and he said there's no such thing as blind zombies! I stayed up all Friday night in fear!"

Toph bursts into laughter. "All...night?"

"YES!" Aang groans. 

"Isn't it painful seeing Yue on all those billboards and stuff, though?" Haru asks Sokka as he walks by, ignoring Aang's radiating misery. 

Sokka swivels in his chair, nibbling on a pencil. "Not really. Suki has much more personality, and she's prettier, and she actually likes me. She's all I need."

Aang gags. 

"But you know," Sokka stops spinning and points his Ticonderoga at the temp. "I can't really be blamed for the whole Yue thing. You've gotta admit, she kinda lead me on. Get it,  _lead_?"

Aang melts from his chair to the floor. "I wish the zombies had eaten me."

 

**~THE END~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New episode coming soon! :)


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